Second child dies after Desert Rd crash on Good Friday

Sunday, 1 April 2018

One child was dead at the scene of the crash on the Desert Rd, a second has died on Sunday afternoon in Starship Children's Hospital in Auckland.

A second child has died following a crash on the Desert Rd, north of Waiouru, on Good Friday.

The crash, involving two cars and two truck-trailer units, closed State Highway 1 between Waiouru and Rangipo from around 3.20pm into the night.

A young child died at the scene.

The second child died in Starship Children's Hospital in Auckland on Sunday.

* Person who died in Tirohanga crash named**

Both children were correctly restrained in car seats, police said.

Another person involved in the crash remained in a critical condition in Waikato Hospital.

Senior Sergeant Fane Troy, of the Bay of Plenty Road Policing team, said at the time the Serious Crash Unit and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Team were investigating.

It would take some time for police to contact the family of those involved, as some of the family members are overseas, he said.

It has been a dangerous few days on the roads this Easter Weekend.

Three children and two adults were shunted off the road into a power pole when a truck smashed into their vehicle near Matamata at 9.45am on Good Friday.

An eight month old, two year old and three year old were sitting in the back. Two adults - a man and a woman - were in the front, taking the brunt of the impact.

Just an hour later a woman was killed in a crash at Tirohanga, between Taupō and Tokoroa. Police named the victim as Denise Tito, 55, of Taupo.

One person was killed after a truck and motorcycle collided at the intersection of Edmund and Clayton Roads in Rotorua on Saturday.

Police wanted to remind travellers heading home from their Easter break to be patient and watch their following distances.